We have arrived! 21 students 4 faculty and around 50 pieces of luggage. The students had created a “group me” Costa Rica group so they all knew each other virtually if not already in person, which really made introductions and welcomes much easier. It was apparent right from the beginning that we have a friendly, fun, and talented group of students. We all made it through a busy first week. The first morning we went on an orientation hike around the UGA campus and the surrounding forest. Lectures started for all the courses being offered with a special 2-part lecture by Dr. Ron Carroll about climate change effects in Latin America with a focus on Costa Rica. The students spent time making observations and developing questions and had their first of many plant orientation hikes. We also had a farm tour and did a service project by weeding the vegetable gardens at the UGA campus. We prepared for our first trip off campus to San Gerardo and the students will write more about that soon! Overall, we (the faculty) are very impressed with all our students and their enthusiasm and excitement for studying in the tropics.
